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Silurian and Devonian strata on the Severnaya Zemlya and Sedov archipelagos (Russia) Peep MÄNNIK Institute of Geology, Tallinn Technical University, Estonia Ave 7, 10143 Tallinn (Estonia) [email protected] Vladimir V. MENNER Institute of Geology and Exploitation of Combustible Fuels (IGIRGI), Fersman Str. 50, 117312 Moscow (Russia) [email protected] [email protected] Rostislav G. MATUKHIN Siberian Research Institute of Geology, Geophysics and Mineral Resources (SNIIGiMS), Krasnyj Ave 67, 630104 Novosibirsk (Russia) [email protected] Visvaldis KURŠS Institute of Geology, University of Latvia, Raina Ave 19, LV-1050 Rīga (Latvia) [email protected] Männik P., Menner V. V., Matukhin R. G. & Kuršs V. 2002. — Silurian and Devonian strata 406 on the Severnaya Zemlya and Sedov archipelagos (Russia). Geodiversitas 24 (1) : 99-122. ABSTRACT Silurian and Devonian strata are widely distributed on the islands of the Severnaya Zemlya and Sedov archipelagos. The Silurian is represented by fossiliferous shallow-water carbonates underlain by variegated sandstones and siltstones of Ordovician age. The Devonian consists mainly of various red sandstones, siltstones and argillites, with carbonates only in some inter- KEY WORDS vals. The best sections available for study are located in the river valleys, and Silurian, in the cliffs along the coastline of islands. Type sections of most of the strati- Devonian, Sedov Archipelago, graphical units identified are located on the Matusevich River, October Severnaya Zemlya Archipelago, Revolution Island. As the Quaternary cover is poorly developed on Russia, lithostratigraphy, Severnaya Zemlya, the Palaeozoic strata can be easily traced also outside the biostratigraphy. sections. GEODIVERSITAS • 2002 • 24 (1) © Publications Scientifiques du Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris. www.mnhn.fr/publication/ 99 Männik P. et al. RÉSUMÉ Les niveaux stratigraphiques silurien et dévonien des archipels de Severnaya Zemlya et de Sedov (Russie). Sur les îles de Severnaya Zemlya et de Sedov, les niveaux du Silurien et du Dévonien sont bien représentés. Le Silurien est représenté par des carbonates fossilifères de dépôts peu profonds, recouverts par des grès et des silts d’âge ordivicien. Les niveaux dévoniens sont représentés par des grès rouges, des silts et des argilites, qui alternent parfois avec des niveaux carbonatés. MOTS CLÉS Comme souvent, les meilleures coupes sont localisées dans les vallées et sur Silurien, Dévonien, les falaises le long des côtes. Les coupes-types des unités stratigraphiques archipel de Sedov, sont principalement localisées dans la vallée de la rivière Matusevich sur l’île archipel de Severnaya Zemlya, de la Révolution d’Octobre. Sur l’archipel de Severnaya Zemlya, la couver- Russie, lithostratigraphie, ture quaternaire est si réduite que les niveaux paléozoiques peuvent être faci- biostratigraphie. lement retrouvés en dehors des coupes-types. INTRODUCTION PREVIOUS STUDIES The Severnaya Zemlya and Sedov archipelagos The Severnaya Zemlya Archipelago was discov- lie north of the Tajmyr Peninsula, between the ered in 1913. The first evidence of the existence Kara and Laptev seas. The Severnaya Zemlya of Palaeozoic strata on the Severnaya Zemlya, Archipelago, with a total area of about 37 000 but also in the Sedov Archipelago, came from km2, consists of four large islands (October collections made by G. A. Ushakov and N. N. Revolution, Bol’shevik, Komsomolets and Urvantsev during the expedition in 1930-1932. Pioneer) and up to 70 smaller ones. Six islands In samples from Severnaya Zemlya, B. B. – Srednij, Golomyannyj, Domashnij, Figurnyj, Chernyshev identified Silurian tabulates, similar Vostochnyj and Samojlovich – form the Sedov to those known from Tajmyr and Novaya Archipelago. About half of the Severnaya Zemlya. In 1948-1954, a group of geologists Zemlya Archipelago’s territory is covered by from the Scientific Research Institute of continental glaciers (Fig. 1). Due to a very poor Geology of Arctic (NIIGA, St.-Petersburg), led vegetation, the rocks are well exposed. by B. Kh. Egiazarov, studied the archipelagos Numerous continuous sections of highly fossil- and compiled a geological map on a scale of iferous Lower and Middle Palaeozoic strata put 1:1 000 000. A rich collection of fossils was stud- the archipelagos among the key areas for geo- ied by A. P. Bystrov, Z. G. Balashov, V. A. logical studies in the Circum-Arctic region. The Vostokova, R. S. Eltysheva, M. S. Zhizhina, beginning in 1996 of the IGCP Project 406 B. N. Nalivkin, O. I. Nikiforova, V. N. (Circum-Arctic Lower and Middle Palaeozoic Ryabinin, Ya. D. Zekkel’ and S. V. Cherkesova. Vertebrate Palaeontology and Biostratigraphy) The general stratigraphy of the Palaeozoic strata reactivated the studies connected with was published in a number of papers and mono- Severnaya Zemlya. graphs (Egiazarov 1957, 1959, 1970, 1973). The aim of the present paper is to give a general Modern understanding of the Lower and idea about the sections, lithologies and stratigra- Middle Palaeozoic strata on Severnaya Zemlya phy of the Silurian and Devonian strata on is based mainly on the data of detailed geologi- Severnaya Zemlya. cal mapping by V. A. Markovskij, A. A. 100 GEODIVERSITAS • 2002 • 24 (1) Silurian and Devonian strata on Severnaya Zemlya 102° Schmidt Island LAPTEV SEA Glacier of KARA SEA Academy of Sciences Komsomolets Island Bedov R. Obryv. R. Rusanov Pioneer Glacier Island October Al'banov Revolution Glac. Krasn. Bay Island Pionerka R. Bol'shaya R. C Golomyannyj I. Srednij Vstrechnaya Karpinski Island Hill A Figurnyj I. Glacier Domashnij I. Pod. R. Mal'yutka Vkhodnoj Glacier B Peninsula Vatutin Peninsula Vavilov Vostochnyj I. Glacier Sedov Archipelago Samojlovich Glacier (Dlinnyj) of Island University KARA SEA 10 0 10 20 30 40 km Bol'shevik 1234 Island FIG. 1. — Distribution of Palaeozoic strata on Severnaya Zemlya, showing location of studied sections and spot samples (geology modified from Egiazarov 1959). Areas A, B and C show the location of detailed maps in Figs 2; 6; 9. Areas of Silurian outcrops stud- ied on Pioneer Island (according to Klubov et al. 1980) are indicated as follows: I, samples 2A-4G; III, samples 4D-6A, 8G; V, sample 12. Samples 7A-7B, 8D-8G, 9E, 9Zh and 10A-10B come from areas I or II (precise location not known). Bedov. R., Bedovaya River; Obryv. R., Obryvistaya River; Gr. R., Gremyashchaya River; Krasn. Bay, Krasnaya Bay; Pod. R., Pod’’emnaya River. 1, Cambrian and older rocks; 2, Ordovocian; 3, Silurian; 4, Devonian to Quaternary strata. GEODIVERSITAS • 2002 • 24 (1) 101 Männik P. et al. Makar’ev, Yu. G. Rogozov, B. N. Batuev, A. F. Proterozoic on Bol’shevik Island (Kaban’kov et Khapilin and others in 1973-1979. A proper al. 1982) to the Upper Palaeozoic (small oucrops stratigraphical framework for the mapping was of Carboniferous and Permian rocks on provided by special sedimentological and bios- Bol’shevik, October Revolution and tratigraphical studies. During field-work in Komsomolets islands; Dibner 1982) (Fig. 1). 1974, 1976, 1978 and 1979, many sections in Large areas on northern Komsomolets Island different parts of the archipelagos were are covered with Cenozoic sediments. The old- described in detail and fossils collected. Yu. G. est Palaeozoic strata (Cambrian) are exposed in Samojlovich, D. K. Patrunov and A. A. Egorova the eastern part of October Revolution Island. (St.-Petersburg, Russia), V. Karatajūtē-Talimaa The Cambrian-Devonian sediments in the mid- and J. Valiukevičius (Lithuania), E. Mark-Kurik dle and eastern parts of October Revolution and P. Männik (Estonia), V. Kuršs (Latvia), Island are folded, with the Silurian and R. G. Matukhin (Novosibirsk, Russia), V. Vl. Devonian outcrops situated on the limbs of a Menner (Moscow, Russia), and B. A. Klubov north-west south-east trending anticline. This and E. I. Kachanov (Magadan, Russia) partici- structure extends to the southwesternmost pated in the expeditions. The collections were Komsomolets Island. The core of the anticline is studied and described by A. Abushik (ostra- formed of Ordovician rocks. On western codes), O. Afanassieva (vertebrates), A. Blieck October Revolution Island and on Pioneer (vertebrates), S. Cherkesova (brachiopods), D. Island, the Palaeozoic strata are less deformed. Drygant (conodonts), I. Evdokimova (ostra- codes), V. Karatajūtē-Talimaa (vertebrates), SILURIAN E. Levitski (trilobites), E. Lukševičs (verte- The best Silurian sections available for study are brates), Z. Maximova (trilobites), E. Mark- located in the river valleys, perpendicular to the Kurik (vertebrates), T. Modzalevskaya outcrop belts in the central part of October (brachiopods), P. Männik (conodonts), T. Märss Revolution Island, and in the cliffs along the (vertebrates), L. Nekhorosheva (bryozoans), coastline of the Sedov Archipelago islands. Over H. Nestor (stromatoporoids), M. Shurygina 40 years ago, Egiazarov (1959) noted that the (rugose corals), M. Smirnova (tabulate corals), most complete sequence of Ordovician, Silurian N. Sobolev (conodonts), G. Stukalina (crinoids), and Devonian strata is exposed on the V. Sytova (rugose corals), G. Vaitiekūnienē Matusevich River (Figs 1; 2). Later, this section (miospores), and J. Valiukevičius (vertebrates). has been studied in detail by many geologists, A special meeting devoted to the stratigraphy of and the type sections of most of the Silurian for- Severnaya Zemlya was held in Vilnius, mations are located there (see below). Almost Lithuania, in 1980, and several papers were pub- complete,